Carole Carson

Ten Ways to Outsmart Food Cravings

Losing weight and keeping it off require effective management of food cravings that can easily undermine plans to eat healthfully. Use these 10 tips to manage yourself through the crazy maze of cravings:

1. Eat at regular intervals. To avoid becoming overly hungry, don’t go more than five hours without eating.

2. Include protein in each meal to control appetite. Skinless poultry, fish, eggs and low-calorie dairy products are good sources.

3. Stay hydrated with water, since thirst can mask as hunger. Avoid sugared, artificially sweetened and stimulant drinks that trigger cravings.

4. Distract yourself if the impulse to eat is triggered by emotions, especially if you are SAD: sad, angry or depressed. Instead of giving in to the craving, go for a walk. Besides getting you out of the kitchen, the exercise will burn calories.

5. Chew sugarless gum. Chewing satisfies mouth hunger without adding calories.

6. Brush and floss your teeth. Changing the taste in your mouth shifts your perspective, and the craving may simply disappear.

7. Replace refined foods (for example, white flour and sugar) that trigger cravings with whole grains. Whole grains produce a sense of satiety for a longer than refined foods do, and unlike refined foods, whole grains do not trigger cravings.

8. Just say no and then wait. Most cravings begin, crest and recede in minutes. While you’re waiting, review what you have eaten during the day and reassure yourself that your body is well nourished. Willpower is a muscle that strengthens with exercise.

9. Call for support. If you are in danger of polishing off a container of peanut butter ice cream, call your best friend and talk your way through the crisis.

10. Get outside and into sunlight daily, exercise regularly and get a good night’s rest. Sunlight and exercise lift your mood, and rest restores perspective.

Armed with these tips, you will have the tools to respond when cravings surprise you. Even so, to paraphrase President Lincoln, you may be able to fend off all of your cravings some of the time and fend off some cravings all of the time, but you probably won’t be able to fend off all of your cravings all of the time. If you do slip up now and then, forgive yourself and move on. Forget the past and move toward the future. You’ll no doubt have many more opportunities to practice these tips.

Photo courtesy of Julia Dumnova

 

Trivia Question: Guess How Many Calories Are in These Summer Drinks

Which one of the following drinks has the most calories?

 

1. Smoothie King peanut power plus grape smoothie
2. McDonald's chocolate triple thick shake
3. Krispy Kreme lemon sherbert chiller
4. Baskin-Robbins ice cream soda

If you guessed the 40-ounce Smoothie King peanut power plus grape smoothie, you would be correct. The drink contains 1,498 calories. But the others also will make a similar dent in your daily caloric allowance. The McDonald’s 32-ounce shake has 1,160 calories, the Krispy Kreme chiller has 980 calories and the Baskin-Robbins ice cream soda has 980 calories.

 

Once you know how calorie dense these drinks are, they lose some of their appeal. An apple or a banana—each containing about 100 calories—looks like a real caloric bargain. And, as an added bonus, the fruit nourishes our body with needed vitamins and minerals

Take a “No Gain, No Returning Pain” Vacation

I work hard, so I want to enjoy my vacations. At the same time, I don’t want to give up everything I’ve invested in losing weight and getting fit.

 

I could give in and indulge myself, knowing I’ll shape up later? But if I decide to indulge, I may need to brace myself when I see the number on the scale when I return home.

 

I could go on an austere vacation, spending precious time feeling sorry for myself, frustrated that I never get a vacation from eating carefully.

 

Is there a middle ground? Yes. Here are four ideas that I use:

 

1. Drink plenty of water. By staying hydrated, you’ll be more aware of whether your body is hungry or thirsty. You won’t be eating when all you really wanted was a glass of water.
2. Seek fresh food. Buy lunch at the local grocery store. Pick out a salad and some fresh fruit. Or purchase a carton of yogurt and order a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread. If you want to eat out, find places that offer healthy options. For a list of those options in the area you are traveling, go to www.healthyhighways.com
3. Keep a cooler packed with healthy drinks and snacks. Include some fruit and other healthy snacks such as a jar of peanut butter, a carton of low-fat cottage cheese, or hard-boiled eggs. Some rental cars have built-in coolers.
4. Take your fitness clothes and gear along. Look for parks that you can walk in, hotels that have exercise options, and fitness centers that have day passes.

 

Facing higher numbers on my credit card statement after returning from vacation is tough enough. I don’t want to face higher numbers on the bathroom scale as well.

 

You can borrow my tips and add your own. That way, both you and I can have wonderful vacations and come back feeling fit, rested and relaxed.